Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is stepping back into the boxing ring this weekend after being retired since his last fight in August of 2021. No one in combat sports truly stays retired forever.
Pacquiao has not fought professionally since losing to Ugas and that was four years ago. Pacman is 46 years old now and seeing what he has left in the tank in hopes of capturing gold once more.
Mario Barrios, the current WBC welterweight champion has been rumored to be Pacquiao’s opponent for a while before the fight was even announced. Barrios is not a world beater but he puts combinations together well and works off a great jab. He is definitely entering his physical prime now and has looked to really put everything together since his back to back losses to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thuman a few years ago.
As for the matchup it is pretty straight forward for me. Pacquiao is a legend and truly one of the greatest to ever do it. I cannot back and put money on a 46 year old guy who needs to throw punches, move better, and outwork a guy 16 years younger. Pacquiao did compete in an exhibition match last year and he looked as much of a mid-40s aged fighter as you would expect. While I did mention Barrios is no world beater, he is champion for a reason. I surely expect him to work off his jab, length, and control the center of the ring and increase his pressure against Manny as the fight plays out. One thing to know is that as fighters get older and start to show signs of regression one of the biggest things to look for is their lack of volume and willingness to throw strikes. If that trend continues then expect Barrios to start stacking 10-9 round wins behind his jab and hunting down Pacquiao.
I am not sure we see a finish here as Pacquiao is loved by all, there’s no bad blood here, and Barrios probably does not want any negativity thrown his way should he try to finish Pacquiao. He probably just cruises to a comfortable decision win.
Bet: Mario Barrios (-240) (or best price you can find)
Thanks for reading and best of luck!
